


In five minutes

by Lire_Casander



Category: Hanson
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-05
Updated: 2013-09-05
Packaged: 2017-12-25 17:00:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/955552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lire_Casander/pseuds/Lire_Casander





	In five minutes

There was light in the kitchen when Taylor arrived alter a long day in the studio. He had stayed way later than his brothers, practicing some harmonies till he thought they were perfect, and writing his latest song.

At nearly eleven, he wasn't expecting any light to be switched on. Yet the kitchen illuminated to corridor with the brilliant light coming through the glass door. Taylor could hear someone trashing inside – the clapping of pans, the noises of the kitchen working, the soft hum of his lover making a late dinner.

It was so easy to feel like home with only those simple things.

Taylor stopped to drop his coat and his keys in the hall, and then went straight to the kitchen, but he didn't get in. He peered through the glass, smiling when he saw his lover's back bent over the oven, checking on the meal. It was always nice to have such sight in front of him, so he took his time to admire it.

"You're late," his lover said without turning around. "As always."

Taylor wasn't shocked by what seemed to be perfect skills to see through his back – Zac had always sensed him, no matter how well he tried to hide. When they were children, Taylor was annoyed about that – but once he had stopped hiding, he had had the best of times.

"Sorry," he said, frowning. "I didn't know you were going to cook tonight. I thought it would be Chinese."

"Only you could forget," Zac sighed.

"Forget?"

"Yes, Taylor, forget," Zac shrugged. "I'm used to it by now, but really, Tay, did you have to spend tonight, of all nights, in the studio doing... whatever you were doing?"

Taylor looked at his brother – his lover – completely blank and disoriented. He searched his memory, trying to remember, and then he saw it. They had planned to dinner together that night.

"I've been working on a surprise for you," he said, but Zac was already trying to get out of the kitchen.

"Really?" Zac was talking bitterly even thought it was obvious he was trying to conceal it.

"Zac, please! Where are you going?"

Zac frozed on the doorway. He didn't say a word. He loved Taylor with all his heart, with all the power of his soul – even though he knew it was wrong. But lately they had been having problems – the recording of the album had been taking its toll on them both. When they came back to the house Taylor and he shared, they were so exhausted that neither wanted to do anything more than crawl under the covers and sleep for days on end.

"Taylor," he started without turning. "I've been... thinking. A lot. About us. I don't think this is a good idea anymore."

Taylor wasn't expecting such statement. He could have used some yelling, some anger. But what he heard in Zac's voice wasn't anger, it wasn't despair.

Zac was talking with resignation.

"But--- Zac--- This isn't only for tonight, is it? I'm so sorry to have forgotten that we had planned this dinner. I was thinking about your surprise and---"

"Leave it!" exclaimed Zac, throwing his hands in the air and finally facing his brother. "It's not that you forgot, it's that we no longer spend time together, and when we've been alone these last three weeks, all we've done has been sleeping."

Taylor's gaze dropped to the floor. He too had felt the distance between them growing and growing, and it made his heart ache.

"You're trying to break up with me," he snapped. "I can't believe this has made you rethink a whole year of true love."

"It's not me who's been avoiding it, Taylor. I'd rather this confrontation wouldn't take place tonight, but I guess it's better this way."

"In five minutes," Taylor said, glancing at the blinking numbers on the digital clock, "in five minutes, it will be our first anniversary. And you're trying to break up with me only seconds away from it."

"You've been the one spending endless nights on the studio, and you've been ignoring me, did you really expect me to...?"

"I could never ignore you," breathed Taylor, regaining some of the confidence he had lost. "I love you, Zac."

They stared at each other for long minutes, silently, until the clock reached midnight. Then, in a soft, weak, broken voice, Taylor whispered, "Happy anniversary, Zac."

But there was no reply. Zac was merely looking back at him without actually seeing him. It was as if Zac had forgotten he was still there. Taylor wighed – he knew from experience that, when Zac ignored him, there was no way he could make it up to him.

This time, he had messed up royally.

"I'm sorry," he said again, and when Zac didn't say anything back, he was sure he had lost his love thanks to his own idiocy. "You can leave if you want to." He sat slowly on a stool and buried his head in his hands. He tried to disguise the sobs that were stabbing the back of his throat, but he failed miserably.

A rustle of clothes later, strong arms circled his waist, tightening a grip on him.

"Don't," came the muffled voice of his brother, his face pressed against Taylor's back. "Just don't. I shouldn't have snapped like that. It's... it's only a day."

"I thought this was about a lot more than just a fucking anniversary, Zac."

"These last three weeks have been horrible for both of us," explained Zac. "Not being able to touch you in the studio... it has been driving me crazy. And then you started spending any and every spare _second_ there..."

"I'm so, so sorry, Zac," Taylor repeated the same line over and over again. He truly meant it, but when Zac made no acknowledgement of his words, he finally let the tears roll down his cheeks and tried to get up, but Zac held him tighter.

"I didn't mean you had to leave. I freaked out, it's me who should be apologizing."

Taylor spread his hands over the wood of the table in front of him to help him get up, and whispered shakily "Let go of me." Zac stiffened in pain behind him, but he didn't loosen his grip. "Please, Zac, let go of me."

He did as told, and Taylor got up to turn around and face his brother. His eyes locked with Zac's again – fear, tears, hope, faith. Love.

"Wait here a second," Taylor requested. "I'll be back, I promise," he reassured his brother. In his wake, he left a CD case on the table, and rushed out of the kitchen. Zac took hold of it impulsively and examined it. The CD inside was not labelled, so it was impossible to know what was recorded on it without actually lsitening to it.

"All I can say is that you're going to love it," said Taylor from the doorway.

Zac looked up and saw his brother holding a guitar, leaning into the wood of the door, staring back at him. "Is it our album?" Taylor shook his head. "A couple of songs? No? Just one song?" At Taylor's nod, Zac's smile grew wider.

"It's 'In A Way' but it's not the version you have heard. It's... finished. Edited and all that jazz. I know it's your song, but I know too that you really wanted to listen to it, so... here it is. The final version of the song."

"Really?" Zac was astonished. Had Taylor finished his song for him as a gift? "You truly love me."

"Ever doubted it?" Taylor stepped in the kitchen. "But that's a small part of what I've been doing at the studio. There's a lot more."

"Really?" Zac knew he sounded repetitive, but he couldn't help it. Taylor surprised him within each second.

"Can I show you what it is?"

"Of--- of course."

Taylor sat down on another stool across the table and strummed his guitar before clearing his throat and starting singing.

 _Georgia, you know that you've been on my mind_  
Georgia, we both learned to compromise  
I'll be there for you  
When everybody's coming unglued  
I'll be there for you  
I won't say you have to choose  
I don't want to let you go  
And I don't want to lose you slowly  
I just want to let you know  
That it's only just a little back and forth lately  
Georgia, I'll be chasing you the rest of my life  
Georgia, welcome to the roller coaster ride  
When I come to you  
I know that you'll help get through  
I'll be there for you  
We both know we could never choose  
I don't want to let you go  
And I don't want to lose you slowly  
I just want to let you know  
That it's only just a little back and forth lately  
I could never let go  
After all that you've been to me  
I just want to let you know  
That's it's only just a little back and forth  
it's only just a little back and forth lately

There was silence again once he played the last notes of that first version. His eyes were looking downwards, as though he was ashamed. Zac stretched out a hand to reach his brother's, and caressed the skin slowly. He loved the feeling – it was warm and soft – like silk, like summer, like a kiss.

"Do you really feel like that, Taylor?" He passed two fingers under Taylor's chin and made him look up. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Tay. I love you too."

Taylor averted his eyes with a sigh. "I didn't realize that this song was tearing us apart until I came home tonight. I'm sorry, Zac."

"Let me show you that you don't have to be sorry," murmured Zac, tugging at Taylor's hand until he got up again. Zac dragged him out of the kitchen and straight to their bedroom. Wordlessly, he undressed his brother and proceeded to love him like he never had before – slowly, tenderly, soothingly.

Afterwards, when Zac was glowing in his sleep, Taylor looked at him, wondering how on Earth he had had the right to own him. It was like a dream come true, it was like tempting their luck.

He removed the fringe off of Zac's forehead and softly hummed, "I could never let you go, after all that you've been to me."

He dozed off shortly afterwards, and he never saw Zac staring at him, wondering how on Earth he had had the right to own him, how it was a dream come true. He never heard Zac whispering, "I love you, big bro." He sighed happily and went back to sleep.

Taylor's arm embraced Zac's waist, bringing him near his body. Or maybe he actually heard him.


End file.
